Oscar de la Renta: A Fashion Icon and His Crochet Designs

Even before doing extensive research, I knew I’d heard the brand Oscar de la Renta was associated with at least some crochet.

That made me excited that this week was the week to explore the designer’s work for my Designer Crochet Series! There was so much crochet from this brand that it was tough to choose what to show here.

Fashion Designer Oscar de la Renta

Background and Early Career

Oscar de la Renta was born Oscar Aristides Ortiz de la Renta Fiallo in 1932. He hails from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, but he left the Dominican Republic at age 18 to study at The San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid, Spain. 

He worked with designers across Europe and the United States, including Cristobal Balenciaga and Elizabeth Arden. 

De la Renta established his own company in New York in 1965, where he became well-known through the 1960s and 70s.

In 1967, he married his wife, Francoise de Langlade. She was an editor-in-chief for French Vogue and introduced her husband to many high-society women, who loved his designs. 

A Fashion Icon

Oscar de la Renta’s designs were popular for their use of bright and vibrant colors and prints. He was well-known for evening wear and women’s suits, which were popular with many American First Ladies, including Hillary Clinton and Nancy Reagan. 

Later in his career, de la Renta’s brand expanded to include perfume and bridal wear. 

Oscar de la Renta designed gowns for the New York elite and America’s celebrities and movers-and-shakers. His brand also has ready-to-wear lines.

De la Renta passed away in 2014 at the age of 82. 

Oscar de la Renta Crochet

As I mentioned, this brand has so many gorgeous crochet pieces that it was difficult to choose which ones to feature in this post. 

This black lace crochet dress is a classic, timeless piece. The crochet makes it stand out from every other little black dress. The brand also sells a black lace crochet jacket that matches this dress. 

While the black dress was a classic, this floral mini dress makes more of a statement. I love the texture that the crocheted flowers add to the front of this dress. 

This pullover makes use of both knit and crochet fabrics. The soft ivory sweater is knitted, while the large textured flower is done with crochet stitches. 

This white lace crochet fit and flare dress is styled very similarly to the black lace dress. However, the light color, flowy skirt, and longer, looser sleeves give this dress a very different vibe. 

De la Renta made use of crochet in accessories, as well. This handbag is an example.

If you love Oscar de la Renta’s crochet designs but can’t pay designer prices for your clothing, don’t worry. One of the joys of learning a craft like crochet is that you can learn to make beautiful items for yourself! 

The video tutorial below shows a crochet creator explaining how she made a crop top inspired by the popular Magnolia Crop Top by Oscar de la Renta.